Flora and Fauna And the Three Little Wizards
by Elaanabeth
Summary: NOTE: DISCONTINUED::: Flora and Fauna are twins who just happen to be american aurors with a special connection. What happens when their dreams lead them to Hogwarts and a certain Boy Who Lived, and eventually to their destiny? OCRL OCSS
1. Sleeping and Dreams

**_Flora And Fauna (And the Three Little Wizards)_**

**__**

**Chapter One: Sleeping and Dreams**

_Running… I'm running… But why?? Am I running from something? Am I running from someone?? Running…_

_A voice… Cackling… Green light…PAIN!!! So much PAIN!!… Falling… what does it mean? A lightning bolt… Green eyes… A raven… DEATH… What does it MEAN??? **CRACK** Swinging on a swing… **CRACK** A garden… **CRACK** A red rose, no, not red, it's white, there's blood, TAINTED… **CRACK** An abandoned house… **CRACK** Sorrow, So much SORROW… **CRACK** "This house better be clean when I get back boy, or I'll tan your hide myself!!"… **CRACK** Falling again, I'm always falling, I don't fall when I'm with… _

_WHAT DOES IT MEAN?!?!?_

Fauna Karithisis bolted upright in her bed, names flashing in her head and a strangled scream lodged in her throat. Her tee-shirt was plastered to her sweat-soaked body. Flora Karithisis also bolted upright a moment later, but her scream managed to get partway out as she clutched her chest in fear. _Damn!! I need to calm down for Flora, it looks like it affected her more than me. Dammit, why did that wraith have to attack her?? She's so delicate now, and she used to be the strong one…_

"Circe!! What a nightmare!!" Fauna was breathless with her eyes racing and her heart pumping. She looked at her sister and saw that she too was frightened out of her wits and looked like she would start running if it wasn't for the fact that she was paralyzed with fear. Flora compulsively swallowed a couple of times before weakly responding.

"I think I need to…" this was all she got out before she turned a sickly shade of green and wobbled to the bathroom, slamming it shut behind her. Fauna looked at the bathroom door sympathetically, her heart feeling like it just ran a marathon race. Fauna heard retching from the bathroom and winced.

She got up and also wobbled to the door. She knocked.

"Flor, honey, you need anything??" The retching seemed to stop for a moment and a trembling voice said,

"Willow…" and the retching started again. Fauna nodded sympathetically to herself and decided to follow her sister's advice and make some Willowbark Tea. Flora stumbled to her bed and pulled off her soaked tee-shirt.

"Damn it, now I'll have to do laundry..." and pulled on her boxers and a camisole. Then she quickly (as quick as you can go on wobbly legs and with a splitting headache) went downstairs and into the kitchen.

She turned on the radio as she walked past and suddenly winced as country blared on full blast into her ears. She quickly changed the station to something… more comforting. Heavy metal now surrounded Fauna like a warm blanket and she sighed. Then she put her hands on her hips and cleared her throat.

Loudly she said, "Lookie here Ghostie, Flora and I let you stay because we figured you were here first, but just like you don't like us messing with your _bizarre_ kitchen arrangement, _you_ don't get to mess with Flora's garden, or MY stereo." Fauna glared at the air around her with her arms crossed and nodded when the she felt a breeze blow by her.

"Good. Glad that's settled." And proceeded to putter around the kitchen looking for the willowbark and the teakettle.

"Ghost!! Where did you put the Willowbark??" Fauna waited for a reply and when she didn't get one shouted louder. "GHOST!! WHERE. IS. THE…" Fauna was cut off when the stereo clicked off. She raised an eyebrow and finished her sentence. "…wilowbark?" She raised an eyebrow when the teakettle's lid popped off and fell to the floor.

"Look, I know where I _put_ the willowbark, I need it first though." Flora rolled her eyes. She jumped when the teakettle was knocked off the table and landed with a clang at her feet, the box of willobark skidding out of it. She "harummphed" and with as much dignity as she could muster picked up the lid, kettle, and the box of willowbark.

She set the lid and box on the table and went to start the water boiling. With that done she went to fish three saucers and cups from the cupboards. She put some powdered wilowbark to all three cups and went upstairs to check on her sister.

"Flor? Sweetie? How're you doing?" Fauna knocked on the door again before opening it. "Flor? Flora?" Fauna peeked around the door and saw her sister sitting on the tile floor sobbing. Fauna immediately rushed to her twin sister and embraced her in her arms.

"Hush…It's alright…It's all over…You're okay…It's done…You don't have to be strong anymore…I'm here." Fauna continued to murmur comforting words to her sister as she held Flora in her arms and rocked her gently. She did this until Flora's torrent of emotions subsided and she calmed, then Fauna just held Flora, glad that Flora was finally releasing a month of pent up emotions.

"Hey…Flora?" Fauna looked at Flora and gave a weak smile that Flora gave back. "I'm really glad you finally decided to give in and all, but…" Fauna looked uncomfortable for a moment.

"What?" Flora looked worried. Fauna just looked embarrassed.

"Well… see, the thing is… The thing is, is that I _really_ have to pee." Fauna looked apologetic. When Flora bowed her head and started shaking Fauna got worried. "Oh! Flora I didn't mean to make you cry! I promise that I can wait! I swear!" It was at this point that Flora lifted her head and Fauna could see that Flora was silently laughing. Fauna glared at Flora for a moment before giving a big dramatic sigh and throwing her hands in the air.

"Don't worry Faun, I'll let you pee in peace. Did you make any willowbark tea?" Flora peeled herself from the floor and stood up, wincing slightly.

"I have the water boiling and the willowbark in the cups. It's all pour and mix." Flora snorted and started down the stairs.

Fauna watched Flora leave, relief flowing through her._ Finally! I thought she was going to repress it until she had a nervous breakdown… well, I guess she did, but she'll get better now! …Right?_ Fauna was left by herself to pee and worry.

_Dear Phoebus, did I just have a nervous breakdown? Gods, Fauna must think horribly of me now. Gods, WHY did I have to break down NOW?? Fauna just had a horrible experience and all I can do is cry. How can I feel so worthless?? I couldn't even save that man. Does she hate me? Circe, I can't lose her support!! Not now!!_

_Breathe Flora, breathe, that's right, just keep breathing… Why did a vision have to come so soon? Fauna saw it too I know she did. Does she resent our gift? Does she resent me? Dammit, when did I become so unstable?!? I never used doubt anything, which is how we got into this mess in the FIRST PLACE. I'm the strong one, I can't just become a wallflower… snicker wallflower, flora… that's funny… ha ha, real funny. Geeze, I'm falling apart, even my thoughts are going all over the place._

Flora Karithisis walked down the stairs to the kitchen, automatically flipping the stereo on and automatically turned the radio station to Rock-n-Roll. _Ah… Music is the best thing for a plant, and a person._ Flora surveyed the kitchen in its usual chaotic arrangement and spotted 3 steaming cups of tea on the table, willowbark and all.

_Didn't Fauna say she had just put the water on to boil?_ Flora then noticed that there were _three_ cups set out, and one was half empty. _Ah…_ thought Flora. Out loud she said,

"Thank-you Pollie! I really needed this." Flora smiled when she felt a cool breeze sweep by, jangling the windchimes set over the sink. Pollie is short for Poltergeist, since Fauna and Flora's permanent houseguest never made an effort to communicate beyond little things, like wind and moving items, and certainly never it's name.

Flora sat sipping her tea while deep in thought. _The past is the past, and that's where it needs to stay. There's no reason for it to affect me, like Fauna said, "It's over now."_ Flora absently drank her tea and didn't notice when it suddenly filled back up. Her thoughts drifted back to what had happened a month ago.

_It always starts with a dream, a vision. Me and Fauna always have visions; flashes, sayings, feelings; everything and anything and they're always in the future. We've had them all our life. The dreams are the worst. Fauna shuddered at the remembrance of some of her previous dream visions. _

_We became Aurors, we fought the bad guys, it was all sooo simple. And then a vision. Gods, what a horrible vision. The blood, the pain, the death. I could smell the decay. _

_I'm the strong one, I'm always the strong one. Fauna always has the brute of the visions. No matter what we do, the visions come to be, we're always there. We can either let it happen or work to make it not happen. We've always stopped it before. But this one, this one was different. I saw Fauna die, I felt her pain, I saw the betrayal in her eyes. Sometimes a vision isn't really a vision, but a dream, I hoped that's what it was, a dream. And… when the vision started happening, I was so afraid. _

_And then, when the few seconds before Fauna was supposed to die played out, I froze. All my training, all my skills, all my instincts, GONE. I watched as that wraith attacked her, and started killing her. In all respects, Fauna died. Right in my arms, I felt her spirit leave when the wraith invaded her body and it was like something was ripped from me at the same time. Psychic links are like that I suppose, and with twins- magical twins, well, they naturally have that link even stronger._

_The wraith was still there, in her body, and my innate talent kicked in. I don't know where the Socius-excedo plant came from; it's been extinct since before the Dodos. All I know it that it wrapped around my sister's hand and mine and suddenly my sister was alive again with her soul intact and the wraith was in ME. All my fears, doubts, and pains came at me at once. _

_I felt surrounded, I was suffocating, and then the visions came. Not real visions, fake ones. Of people I care about dying, of me dying, of suffering, horrors upon horrors. I should have died, like my sister, except for the fact that me and my sister were linked, and like I should have done for her, she liked with me and gave me strength. She fought the wraith off with me, and saved me. I suppose that two minds in one body were too much for one wraith. It was expelled and immediately died. My sister and I collapsed, exhausted mentally and physically._

_As we lay there, I became aware of the supposedly extinct plant lying next to our bodies. I carefully picked up the vine and dug out the roots, determined to make the roots of the now-dead plant live and grow more of itself. As soon as I got the plant I broke down and cried. I haven't talked since. Fauna got us back to the office, and explained the situation. She then took me home and put me in bed and took care of al the paperwork and clean-up duties, while I acted useless._

_And now, on top of all that, I broke down again today. I just couldn't control my reaction to another vision. I've been such a burden to her, she keeps giving and giving and giving, and all I can do is take._

Flora didn't even notice she was crying until a box of tissues slid across the table and landed with a 'tink!' against the now empty teapot.

Fauna heard something as she came down the stairs and saw Flora sitting in the kitchen with a cup of tea in her hands. Fauna was about to say something when she noticed the far off look in Flora's eyes and the tears streaming down her face. Fauna paused at the bottom step, unsure of what to do. _She's thinking about it. I can tell. Dammit, I wish we didn't have these stupid protective charms. Then I could sense what's wrong with her and we could talk mentally… and maybe she wouldn't have to feel like she has to hide something from me._

Flora and Fauna both received a special runic charm from their Divination teacher after their fourth year when the stress of being psychically connected was becoming too much to handle. It was affecting their relationship with each other and their friends and they were constantly fighting. The runic charm was on a leather thong and was made of iron. It was in the shape of some unknown rune and it kept Flora and Fauna mentally separated as long as each of them wore it. They had never taken it off after their Divination teacher told them that there was a possibility that after so much mental separation, to take them off would result in a tidal wave of backed up mental connection and that might be too much for them to handle.

Fauna and Flora agreed to it, even knowing the risks. The charms could not be taken off, except by their own hands. 10 years later, they still hadn't removed them.

Fauna watched her sister and almost jumped when a box of tissues slid across the table to Flora. Fauna thought ruefully, _Thanks Ghostie, I owe you one._ Fauna finally decided to go into the kitchen after Flora had a moment to wipe away her tears. She plunked into the seat in front of Flora.

"You okay?" the concern in Fauna's voice was evident. "You want to talk about it? I know we can't read each other's minds anymore, but that doesn't mean that we should still keep secrets from each other." Flora gave a little sniff and looked at Fauna.

"I…" she started; she looked apprehensive for a moment. Fauna waited for her to continue. "I… I'm sorry for braking down on you back there." She paused before going on. "It was the dream. It was too much too soon." Flora sighed.

"Oh… Flor… I'm so sorry." _It was the wraith, wasn't it. That's what's got you so worked up_. Fauna thought, but didn't quite dare voice her thoughts.

"Don't be!" Flora said this a bit too quickly for Fauna's tastes and Flora must have realized it too because she hastily continued. "I mean- it's not your fault that I can't handle a little dream. I should have handled it better and I didn't." Flora ended bitterly and Fauna briefly wondered if Flora was talking about something else.

"You've had to deal with a lot of things these past couple of weeks, no-one blames you." At Flora's look Fauna added. "_Including_ me." Flora just sighed and finished her tea. _I wish she would just tell me what's wrong…_ Fauna gave a strained smile and sat in silence with her sister, both lost in their own thoughts.

* * *

**Meanwhile… In Hogwarts…**

Harry Potter shot up out of his bed and banged heads with his best friend Ron Weasley, who was leaning over him.

"Oi!!" Ron grabbed his forehead in pain as he stumbled backwards.

"What'd you do that for?? I've been calling your name for the past five minutes." Ron looked at Harry resentfully. He didn't like getting up early in the morning either, but that was no reason to injure him before he even had breakfast. When Ron noticed that Harry looked like he was about to throw up, he forgot about breakfast.

"Hey mate, you alright?" Ron looked at Harry in concern, Harry's eyes were wide as saucers and he was as pale as a ghost. Ron's eyes widened.

"It's not Vol-- You-Know-Who is it?? He's not back yet, right? He's not sending you visions or anything? He's not at Hogwarts, is he?? Are we under attack? Is he attacking muggles?" Before Harry could answer Ron's frantic questions Ron was off again pacing back and forth and waving his arms wildly in the air.

"We should tell Hermoine, she's always in those books… no!! We should tell Dumbledore!!" Harry tried to interrupt his friend but couldn't get a word in edgewise. "He's with the Order!! He'll know what to do!! He's all powerful and stuff and he always knows what's going on!!" Ron rushed towards the Boy's dormitory door, intent on speeding off to the headmaster's office.

"Ron…_Ron…_RON!!!" Harry was sitting up in bed and shouting at the top of his lungs before Ron stopped his mad rush just outside the door. He paused and looked at Harry.

"Yeah mate?" Ron looked at Harry in surprise.

"I'm FINE. It wasn't Voldemort. It was a dream." Ron flinched when Harry said Voldemort.

"A dream? How can you be sure that Vol- You-know-Who didn't send you the dream? He can you know, he's done it before." Ron crossed his arms. Harry sighed and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Look Ron, I can. Alright? This doesn't feel like that. This felt…different. Like a memory, but from someone else…but…some of the memories WERE mine." Ron came and sat across from Harry. Worry was etched on his face, and confustion.

"Harry? You're not making much sense. You said it was a dream at first. Now you're saying it was a memory, but not YOUR memories even though some of them WERE yours?" Ron looked doubtful. "C'mon Harry, you're contradicting yourself."

"RON." Harry groaned. "If it was Voldemort my scar would have hurt and you'll notice I wasn't clutching my scar at all." Ron paused at that.

"Well… I guess…but you looked like you were going to have a seizure or something." There was a moment of silence before he added, "You okay now?" Harry gave a wry grin and felt a wave of gratitude wash over him. No matter what hasty conclusions Ron might jump to, he always was looking out for his best mate's welfare first.

"Yeah Ron, I'm fine. In fact, let's talk about this _after_ breakfast. …You did mention breakfast, didn't you?" Harry tried not to laugh at Ron's enthusiastic response and was practically pulled out of his bed.

"Hey mate, give a bloke a chance to change into some decent clothes, will ya'?" Ron stopped pulling Harry and crossed his arms and frowned deeply in an impression of their Transfigurations Teacher.

"That depends. How long will it take you to change?" Harry laughed and shoved Ron out of the door before hurrying to put on his clothes. He was downstairs in record time.

But it seems he was slow enough to give Ron a chance to tell Hermione what had happened. As soon as he was down the stairs Hermione pounced on him.

"Harry!! What happened? Are you alright? Will you be okay? Do we need to see Dumbledore? What about Si- Snuffles? Are you going to tell him? And when are you going to give us the full story? Ron wasn't exactly helpful." Ron gave an indigent "Hey!" after Hermione's last comment. Harry laughed; he couldn't help it. His two friends could be such worriers sometimes. Hermione gave him a disapproving glare.

"This is no laughing matter Harry! We're in the middle of a war with Voldemort and suddenly you're getting strange dreams and visions, -which may or may not be connected to Voldemort and you just LAUGH? Don't you know that there are people dying out there Harry? Innocent people! Muggles and Half-bloods alike!" Silence filled the room, cold, empty, and vibrating with tension. Ron watched as Harry and Hermione stared at each other for a moment before Harry turned away and went through the portrait without saying a word.

* * *

_AN:: Oooooo...what's up with Hermione? First Chappie up and there will be a second one up soon, gotta go correct it and spell check it and all that rot. Review and tell me if anything needs fixing!!_

_Thanks to all the people who reviewed for my first story, I hope this will satisfy you until I get my damned Floppy...mumble grumble..._


	2. Insight and Assignments

**_Flora And Fauna (And the Three Little Wizards)_**

**__**

**Chapter Two: Insight and Assignments**

Ron swore under his breath.

"Bloody Hell! Hermione, why'd you say that to Harry? Don't you think he knows about the war, and Voldemort, and all the people dying?" Ron's ire died when he saw how close to tears Hermione was. She sat heavily on the couch before speaking quietly.

"I know Ron. I'm- I'm sorry… I don't know why I snapped. I guess that between having to console classmates, my HeadGirl duties, doing homework and studying for NEWTS, not to mention constantly having to worry about Harry's safety, and now having to worry about whether or not Harry's getting visions from Voldemort…It was too much when Harry laughed. I guess I thought that he of all people should realize the severity of the situation and that he shouldn't… have anything to laugh about?" Hermione sighed again. I don't know why I said that to Harry, Ron, I know that he understands, but…" she trailed off. "God Ron, I just don't know!!" Hermione put her head in her hands and Ron stood silent feeling awkward.

"'Mione, when's the last time you had a full nights sleep?" Hermione looked up, startled.

"What?" She looked confused and Ron thought that perhaps his wild stab in the dark might have actually been right on track.

"Sleep 'Mione. It's when people aren't awake and rest their bodies and minds."

"I know what sleep is Ron, I'm the one who gave you that definition!" Hermione snapped. Ron frowned.

"Well?" He looked at her expectantly.

"Well what?" Hermione asked crossly. Ron just crossed his arms and looked at her. Finally she threw up her hands and stood up.

"I don't remember, okay?" Ron nodded slowly.

"Alright. No sleep, huh?" Hermione nodded and Ron finally noticed the dark circles under her eyes, which were more or less covered by some well-applied makeup. Ron nodded slowly again and walked to where Hermione was standing and grabbed her arm. He pulled her towards the common room's door with Hermione protesting the entire time.

"Wha…? Ron!! What are you doing? Where are we going?" Hermione kept a steady stream of remarks and questions all the way through the halls of Hogwarts until Ron pulled her right up to the Hospital Wing floor. Hermione stood in front of it with her mouth open.

"Ron…What are we doing here?" Ron looked at Hermione incredulously.

"Honestly Hermione! What do you think we're doing here?" Hermione pursed her lips.

"I have no clue Ronald Weasley. YOU'RE the one who's dragging me all over the school. Don't you know that this is the Hospital Wing floor?" Ron just looked at her. For the second time in 15 minutes Hermione threw up her hands.

"I'm not sick!! I'm just tired, and last time I checked that was neither a crime nor a sickness." Ron rolled his eyes.

"Right Hermione, because you've read 'Hogwarts: A History' you would know, right?" Ron proceeded to drag Hermione to the hospital wing.

"Rooooooon!!" Hermione screeched, resisting his relentless pulling. She dug her feet into the ground.

"This is for your own good Hermione. You obviously need some sort of help. You randomly snap at Harry and even YOU can't say why, you even said that you're being overwhelmed by your schedule. Madam Pomfrey can give you a sleeping potion and you can sleep until you're better. THEN you can apologize to Harry for blowing up in his face for laughing at US bickering. We do it all the time, just like he laughs at it all the time. In fact, more than once, me and you-" Hermione interrupted him.

"You and I." She stated. Ron continued as if he didn't hear her.

"Me and you have bickered on purpose to break him out of those moods he gets into whenever the pressure of Vol- You-Know-Who gets to him. I absolutely _refuse _to have you snapping at Harry or Harry being mad at you because you think that everyone should be as cross at the world as you are in your delirious state from the lack of sleep. -ESPECIALLY when this can easily be fixed by Madam Pomfrey and a sleeping potion." Hermione forgot to resist momentarily after hearing Ron's little speech and by the time she had realized what had happened Ron and Hermione were in the Hospital Wing. While Ron called for Madam Pomfrey, Hermione looked at Ron strangely.

"Ron…" Hermione said cautiously. He looked at her while waiting for Madam Pomfrey to finish up with a student who apparently was at the receiving end of a misfired spell.

"What?" Hermione shook her head and he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Whaaat?" This time his tone was clearly confused. Hermione was looking at him strangely again.

"It's just that… Ron, when did you get so insightful and, well, clever?" Ron blushed a fiery red from the bottom of his shoes to the tip of his ears. He could feel his neck burning. He found himself staring at the ground and scuffling his shoes.

"Oh… well… um… that is… I just… don't like to… to well, see you and Harry fighting and all… and… it's supposed to be your job to make sure me and Harry don't get into rows and stuff… so I thought I ought to do the same thing for you that you would do for me." Ron mumbled so fast that Hermione barely had time to catch it before Madam Pomfrey was bustling into the room.

"Well now, what seems to be the problem here?" Hermione opened her mouth to respond but Ron beat her to it.

"Hermione hasn't gotten much- if any- sleep lately and I'm very worried about her Madam Pomfrey. I know how unhealthy that must be and since she started picking fights with Harry for no reason…" He shrugged and trailed off. "I thought you might give her a sleeping potion and keep her here until she's rested.

"I did NOT start picking fights with Harry for no reason!!" Hermione shrieked. Madam Pomfrey looked at Hermione enquiringly.

"Oh Miss Granger? Tell me, why did you start picking fights with Harry?" Hermione's jaws moved but nothing came out. She couldn't come up with a reason. Madam Pomfrey nodded.

"I see." She said. She was entirely business now. "Please sit on the bed Miss Granger."

"But, but I'm not sick!"

"Sit!!" Hermione sat. Madam Pomfrey passed her wand over Hermione and said something. Hermione watched at the air around her turned a deep purple color.

"Uh-huh." Madam Pomfrey frowned slightly and then pointed her wand at Hermione's face before saying,

"_Revealus!_" All of Hermione's carefully applied makeup and spells disappeared, leaving Hermione looking as tired as she felt. Madam Pomfrey scoffed.

"Just as I thought! Miss Granger you are far beyond the point of exhaustion, if you were any other student I'd say that you should have fallen unconscious long before this point. May I ask how you've been staying awake?" Hermione looked at her feet before muttering something intelligible.

"Would you repeat that a little louder Miss Granger?" Hermione scowled but did so.

"I SAID, I've been using Exhaustion Energy Brew." At Madam Pomfrey's deep frown Hermione added, "I've been using it in _controlled_ doses Madam Pomfrey. I made sure I researched this potion very thoroughly before I used it." Madam Pomfrey said nothing but instead walked over to her potions cabinet and took a dreamless sleep potion off the fist shelf. She came back to where Hermione was sitting.

"Drink this Miss Granger- ALL of it. It's enough to make you sleep for the next 11 hours. Don't worry; you will be excused from all your classes today, and possibly tomorrow too. When you awaken we will discuss your sleeping habits- or lack thereof with your Head of House." Hermione opened her mouth, only to shut it with a snap when Madam Pomfrey raised her hand in front of her.

"Not a word Miss Granger. Now drink that potion before I'm forced to make you drink it." Hermione pulled out the stopper from the vial and downed the contents. Madam Pomfrey gently pushed Hermione down onto the bed and pulled the covers over her.

"Sleep Miss Granger, we have much to discuss in the morning." Hermione closed her eyes and slept. As soon as Madam Pomfrey was sure Hermione was asleep she turned to Ron.

"Mister Weasley, what were you doing, waiting until she was that bad until you brought her in?" Ron became indignant and defensive.

"Madam Pomfrey, neither Harry or I knew that Hermione was taking Exhaustion Energy Brew. She probably knew we would have made her stop taking it and brought her here if we had known." Madam Pomfrey sighed.

"Of course, you are correct Mister Weasley. This is not your fault. It seems that Miss Granger is too smart for her own good. Most people can't brew that particular potion until well out of school." She glanced at Hermione's now sleeping figure. "Ah, well, I suppose there was no help for it. If you would please take this note to Professor McGonagall, Mister Weasley, before class starts." Ron took the note and glanced at Hermione. Madam Pomfrey followed his gaze and her eyes softened.

"Do not worry Mister Weasley. The potion she's been using is not the worst one she could have been taking. She will need quite a bit of sleep and rest, but other than that it will just be waiting for the potion to work itself out of her system. And making sure she doesn't try a stunt like this again. Now hurry along before class starts, I'm sure you don't want to be late to your first class." Ron slowly nodded and left to go find Harry and give the note to McGonagall.

* * *

Flora sighed as she lowered herself into a sitting position on the ground. As she moved her hands through the earthy dirt surrounding her, she thought about the irony of feeling at home in a greenhouse full of plants and being named Flora. Of course, she realized, when your mother gets a prediction from HER mother about twins that aren't even born, let alone conceived, well, you tend to take her advice on what to name them.

Flora looked around her personal greenhouse. She had a wide variety of plants stored there. Some were rare, while others were useful, she even had a few hybrid plants- the only of their kind. And now she could even say she kept extinct plants in her greenhouse. A _Socius-excedo_ plant. Great Ceres what a find! Flora still remembered the folk tale about it.

**'Once upon a time, when Witches and Wizards had just started to become more and more frequent, there was a powerful Witch. Her name was _Helana Morgianna_ and she was the most powerful witch of her time. **

**When she became the age to marry, many men, muggles and wizards alike, asked for her hand in marriage, but none could convince Helana to give up her power and independence for marriage. **

**But one day a traveling Alchemist came to her village. Many people went to see the alchemist for help or advice, but Helana went to him for a potion. She wanted him to make a potion that would stop men from asking for her hand in marriage. -And he agreed, but for a price.**

**_I am old, and far too weary to be teaching a young sprout of a boy the ways of wizards and witches._ _Teach my apprentice the ways of Magick and in return I will give you a potion so strong, none will ever ask for your hand again._**

****

**Helana agreed. For the next two years, the alchemist and his apprentice lived with Helana in her home. And for two years, Helana taught the alchemist's apprentice the ways of magick. The boy, only a few years younger than Helana, learned quickly and surprised Helana more than once on his grasp of his own powers. The alchemist, true to his word, worked on a potion all the while, to make a potion so strong that none would ever ask the drinker's hand in marriage.**

**On the eve before the two years were up, Helana discovered the alchemist dead in his bed. He had died in his sleep. The apprentice who was sleeping on a pallet on the floor, woke up to the sound of despair which was Helana mourning the death of the alchemist, and with him, the only solution to her never ending problem. When he found out the reason of her distress, he consoled her.**

**_Never fear Lady. You were kind to me and my Master and have taught me the ways of magick. Even though I am no where near as good as my Master, I will try and finish the potion he had been constructing for you, and with it, I will pay mine and his debt._**

**Helana told him he was kind, but it was not his debt to pay and she would not hold him to it. The apprentice protested and swore it was his duty.**

**The apprentice worked long and hard on the potion, struggling to finish what his Master had started, but it was long and arduous work and he spent many a long night working on it. Soon, the men in the town were angry with Helana. She had refused every man in town. Helana thought that would be the end of it, but the townspeople demanded that she must marry someone or be cast out. Helana didn't know what to do. Not all the magick in the world could fix her problem.**

**She told the apprentice that he must hurry with the potion because she must marry by the end of the next full moon and he redoubled his efforts. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to finish it in time and even Helana could see that. She resigned herself to her fate.**

**Then the apprentice had an idea. If she were to pretend to marry him, the townspeople would leave her alone until he could finish the potion. Helana scoffed at such a silly idea, but what other choice did she have? On the full moon, her and the apprentice went out into the town to show their tied hands to the people and satisfy them. The townspeople were satisfied, and the apprentice finished the potion.**

**But Helana had a problem. With the townspeople thinking she was married to the apprentice, she didn't have to worry about other men asking for her hand in marriage. What would be the point to drinking the potion now? And furthermore, after being in the company of the apprentice of three years, she had grown fond of him.**

**Fate had decided to pity Helana. Before she could protest the usefulness of the potion, the apprentice voiced the very same thoughts she had about it too! He had grown just as fond of Helana as Helana had grown fond of him. And so they made their marriage real and lived happily together for many years.**

**Fate, it seemed, was not done playing with Helana and her husband, for he got into a terrible accident that left him mortally wounded. When Helana found him, he was barely alive. As she cried over his now dead body, she didn't notice the small plant that creeped to where her husband lay. Nor did she notice when the plant twined a vine around the apprentice's and her hands.**

**Suddenly, she wasn't in a field, where her husband had collapsed, instead, she was in a bright circle of light, and ahead of her was her husband. Without thinking, Helana grabbed his hand and felt a tug around her own. Then she was back in the field, huddled over her husband, who was now breathing. Helana was able to save him. Fate seemed to be done playing with the mortals, because the apprentice lived and he lived happily with Helana for the rest of his days.**

**Helana dubbed the plant that brought her husband back from the dead, Socius-Excedo. Which means Partner Pass Beyond. Never again could she find the plant, but she always remembered what the afterlife felt. Legend says that a socius-excedo plant has appeared through out history, especially when a loved one has been taken, and when the people who love them enough would willingly follow them into the afterlife to bring them back.'**

_Fauna would think I'm silly to remember that story,_ thought Flora. She took a deep breath and breathed in the smell of damp soil and fragrant plants. _Maybe I am. But the story seemed to do the trick. I came out here to relax and think. And obviously, I did._ Flora stood up and brushed the dirt off her robes. _Work time. These plants aren't going to water themselves._

She moved between the rows of potted plants on tables, pointing her wand at each plant and saying, _"Aqua"_. Water squirted out of her wand each time and gave the plant a healthy drink of H2O. She then moved to the rows of plants that were planted directly into the ground and said, _"Aqua Continuus"._ Water sprayed from her wand endlessly and she moved between the plants, wetting the ground thoroughly.

When she was done, Flora said, _"Finite"_ and the water stopped. Flora went on to check each plant individually and make sure that each was healthy and flourishing, including her socius-excedo plant, which was recovering nicely. With her green house all taken care of, Flora reluctantly walked back to the main part of the house with her head much clearer than when she had left.

* * *

Fauna watched her sister retreat to her greenhouse. Now would be the perfect time to ask Doug for an extension to their original three-week leave.

Doug was a short, lean man that was the head of Fauna and Flora's Auror Division. Apparently, in his day and age, he had been the best Auror in the biz. Now he was just a sour, middle-aged man who constantly smoked cigars and barked at everyone to 'Stay on their toes at all times.' He had lost an arm to a severing curse at the height of his career, the AGOM kept him on the Auror division and had him direct and train the rest of them.

Fauna and Flora _would _be the only people who can stand being in Doug's presence for more than two minutes. The fact of the matter was Flora and Fauna were probably the only Aurors around that Doug could stand too. Even de-armed, he was still a good teacher and an even better head of command. Fauna and Flora had grown to respect and admire their ex-teacher.

_And now, for the Million Dollar Question of the Day, will Doug actually give us the extra time off or will he bark at us to get our butts back to the office before he personally comes over to escort us?_ Fauna was still contemplating the answer when she walked into the living room to floo Doug himself. She went over to the large mantle fireplace and pointed her wand at the kindling inside the fireplace.

"_Incendio_." The logs immediately caught on fire. After making sure that the logs were properly on fire, Fauna reached up on top of the mantle still staring into the flames to have her hand close over… nothing?

_Waitaminute…_ Fauna looked where her hand was reaching. Where was the floo jar? Fauna's eyes scanned the entire length of the mantle and noted that the jar was definitely NOT on the mantle. Where did her floo jar go? Fauna turned around and looked over the entire living room. Nope, no jar.

Faintly, Fauna heard the wafting sound of Country from her stereo. NOW she knew what happened to her jar of floo powder. She stomped into the kitchen, fully intending to give that wannabe phantom-of-the-opera a piece of her mind. As soon as she crossed the threshold of the kitchen, the music switched off and Fauna noticed a large package on the table, right next to her floo jar. _Damn ghost, couldn't just be corporeal and speaking, now could it? Oh no, it has to be a shy lil ghostie and has to steal stuff and play with the wind to get our attention, not to mention MY stereo. Rearranging the kitchen at it's whim and all that good rot…_

Fauna approached the package with her wand drawn. After being Doug's trainee for 6 years, you tend to be wary of unexplained packages that may or may not be one of Doug's 'surprise pop quizzes' to see how much you're on your game when you're not at the office. Fauna had gotten into the habit of checking the entire house when Doug came to visit. More often than not, after he left you found out that your sock drawer was rigged to explode the next morning.

_Smug bastard would have a grin on his face the next morning when you walked in with frizzy hair and blackened tips. Wouldn't say a word either, just take a sip of that disgusting coffee he likes and puff on his ever-present cigar._ Fauna pointed a wand at the package and muttered a few choice spells and counter curses to make sure the package wasn't booby-trapped or that the contents inside weren't going to explode or anything. When the package glowed green Fauna knew it was safe and 'all clear.'

She walked over to the table and picked up the package. It said, 'To the K-Pack Twins. By Order of D-Bomb.'

Fuck.

It was an assignment. The 'K' stood for Karithisis, '-Pack' stood for 'Come packing' or 'Bring your Wand'. 'Twins' was obvious. It meant for both Fauna and Flora to come. 'Order' meant that 'D', or Doug, was giving them an assignment. '-Bomb' meant 'stay on your toes' and 'come to be de-briefed'. This was an important assignment. Double-Fuck.

* * *

_(AN:: 'Revealus' is SUPPOSED to be latin for Reveal, but I'm not sure my beta was right about that one. 'Socius-excedo' roughly translates to Partner-Pass Beyond. A bad translation at best, but it's the best I could do. 'Aqua' means Water and 'Continuus' means Continuous. 'Finite' means End. 'Incendio' means Ignite. If anyone sees an error with my translation, put it in a review and I'll fix it. Promise!!_

_I'd say thanks to a person who reviewed this, but I'm not sure they deserve a thanks- especially since their comment was neither constructive nor appreciated._

_Thanks to:_

_**Larka Avilak:** "not that good. could work on names, hm, they need to be more realistic, not so mary sue. and why would they say "dear phoebus"? that's lame."_

_**My response:** I chose Flora and Fauna as their nams on purpose. It was supposed to be a joke and it's going to have special meaning later in the story. I'm sorry if my characters seem a little Mary Sue- I really AM trying to make them flawed... it's always hard to do for the first couple of fics. And thirdly, I have them say the names of Roman Gods on purpose- they like saying that better than 'Dear Merlin, or Dear God'. Personally, I was going for uniqueness. Pheobus is the Roman god of Sun and Ceres is the Roman god of Plants/Earth AKA Gaia._

_I hope to get the next chapter up in about 2 weeks or so, but since school has started and I have a Karate Competition soon, I might not. Thanks to all the reviewers, I love your comments!) _


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